


Journey of Discovery

by gayyyluigi



Series: A Criminal's Son [2]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: M/M, Past Child Abuse, eventual sportarobbie, implications of past child prostitution, preslash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-09-14 19:32:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9199466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayyyluigi/pseuds/gayyyluigi
Summary: Continuation of Discovering Robbie. Tracking down Robbie's mom wasn't going to be an easy task. Good thing he's got good friends like Sportacus and Pingpong to help him out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love misspelling the kids' names since Robbie's a little brat.

At first, Robbie hadn't really wanted to try to find his mother. It was too painful to think about.

After all, it had been about 33 years since he'd seen his mother, if his timeline was matching up right. He was 38 years old, his mother had last seen him when he was 5, so... yeah, it had been 33 years since Robbie had last seen his mother. That was quite a bit of lost time to make up for! And besides, Stína had likely already done her mourning, likely already moved on with her life. She might've even had more kids, might've gotten married! It would shake things up far too much for her and her family if her long-lost son suddenly showed up out of the blue, right?

But after Robbie had told him what was going on, Sportacus was bound and determined to help his friend be reunited with his mother. Sportacus could hardly imagine being separated from his own mother for so long. He and his mother were as close as a mother and son could be, and he communicated with her regularly even now that he'd moved away from the village he'd grown up in. Robbie needed the same kind of familial closeness with someone in his life, and since Sportacus was a hero, since it was his job to help people, he planned on helping Robbie to reunite with his family. It was only what was right!

And so, with some persuasion from Sportacus, Robbie began to make a comprehensive timeline of his past to show his mother for if/when they found her, but also for his own benefit as well. Sportacus, with the help of that one orange-headed kid with the near-frightening tech skills-- Pringle, was it?-- set about the task of trying to locate this Stína Símalína woman, attempting to get as much information as possible. With Pencil's incredible technological capabilities, it was a bit easier to find information than it would've been without his help, but it still wasn't easy to try and track down a person who had left town decades ago. Of course, it wasn't exactly easy for Robbie to do his portion of the work either... trying to hunt down solid information on his past when there was so little to be found was a pretty daunting task. As such, many long nights were spent in the library with Robbie and Sportacus (and often times Pretzel) rifling through old files or searching on the computer for anything that would help them on their quest.

Finally, after months of searching for any information on where this Stína Símalína woman might be now, Pickle and Sportacus finally made a breakthrough. 

Robbie had only a few days ago finished compiling all the information on his life into a neat, organized binder, and he was emotionally and physically exhausted from just how hard it had been for him to face the gruesome details of his past. He had even included some of the crime scene photos from when he'd been rescued from Glanni's house, and it was pretty horrific to have to see his younger self in such a state. Going through all of those painful memories had wiped Robbie out, and though he tried hard to stay awake as Puzzle worked so diligently, he just couldn't find the willpower to keep his eyes open.

Finally succumbing to his exhaustion, Robbie had fallen asleep that fateful night while Sportacus and Pizza intently continued their research. In fact, Robbie had fallen asleep across poor Sportacus's lap like a cat, calmly sucking his thumb as he dreamed, brow unforrowed for the first time in weeks. Sportacus was idly stroking Robbie's hair to keep himself from fidgeting while he looked at the computer screen intently as Pickaxe scoured through files to add to the file of information on Stína that they'd built up over the last few months.

Suddenly, Picnic let out a triumphant cry, jumping up from his chair with a grin on his face. He turned to Sportacus, exclaiming excitedly, "Finally!! Sportacus, I know where she is now! Robbie's mom-- she's in WoeTown!!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before they go to pay a visit to Robbie's mother, Sportacus has to clue Robbie in on the basics of Elven culture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so, so sorry this is so late! I don't know why I just couldn't figure out how to finish this chapter!
> 
> Anyway, here ya go!! Sorry for the delay!!

Pixel let out a triumphant cry, jumping up from his chair with a grin on his face. He turned to Sportacus, exclaiming excitedly, "Finally!! Sportacus, I know where she is now! Robbie's mom-- she's in WoeTown!!" The boy could hardly contain his excitement, his eyes sparkling with glee. It had taken him and Sportacus quite a long while, almost a month, but finally, they'd tracked down the location of Robbie's mother.

"Pixel, you've done it!" Sportacus cried, eyes widening in shock as he stared at the screen. Robbie's mother-- now going by the alias of Sandra Stringer-- was now taking residence in WoeTown, working as a librarian for the local school. Of course, Sportacus knew that this was only a cover for her elven identity. Some elves, whether they were outcasts from their villages or simply chose to live apart, decided to live in the world of the humans and take on human identities. 

Sportacus's home village was one in which the young elves were encouraged to leave home, encouraged to become heroes to the humans they came across and to change their lives, but not all villages were like that. In fact, some even detested humans, but that didn't seem to be what Stína's village would be like, at least if she wasn't an outcast. Otherwise, she'd have no business having mingled amongst the humans for so many years. Sportacus could infer, then, that Stína was simply a more solitary being than other elves. Dark Elves were the most solitary of Elven races, after all, and it wasn't uncommon for Dark Elves to live amongst humans rather than together. Of course, they still had their courts and such, but it wasn't as tightly organized as other Elven courts.

But Sportacus didn't have time to dwell on that-- as soon as Pixel started yelling, Robbie jolted awake, startled as he tried to process the news through his grogginess. Robbie took a moment to decipher the meaning of Pixel's words, as his brain wasn't nearly awake yet, and his jaw fell open in shock. The boy had done it. He'd found Stína's location.

Robbie gave Pixel a quick hug, dropping his ruse of not knowing the boy's name as he voiced his appreciation. "Pixel, th-thank you...!!! Oh, I can't believe this--!!!" He turned to look at Sportacus, eyes sparkling in excitement, heart racing so fast it felt as if it'd beat out of his chest. "M-my mom...!! He found her!! We- we can go see her, and tell her that I'm ok, and- this is so amazing...!!" He then threw his arms around Sportacus, throat tight with emotion. "This would've never happened without your help. Thank you..."

Sportacus chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around Robbie tenderly and rubbing the slender man's back. It was true, none of this would've been possible without him or Pixel. But Sportacus didn't feel like dwelling on his own accomplishment. After all, this was about Robbie, not him. "Of course, Robbie... and now, we can go find your mother." He paused, frowning ever so slightly. "But I think I'd better tell you some things about elves before we go to meet her, alright?"

After Pixel had been safely returned home, Sportacus took Robbie down to the park to talk, since Sportacus wasn't too fond of the idea of going down into Robbie's underground lair, and Robbie was deathly afraid of heights. It was a safe, neutral location, and hopefully none of the children would bother them since it was already past 8:08.

"Alright, Robbie," Sportacus spoke as he sat down on a bench, patting the spot beside him. "Since you're half-elf, it's high time you learn about elven culture. I don't want you to go in there blindly once you go to meet your mother.

"As you know, there are many different types of elves. You're a Dark Elf, and Dark Elves have a propensity to types of magic that deal with deceit. Stealth, thievery, manipulation... things like that. And that shows in the way you're able to create your disguises, how you're able to manipulate that periscope to pop up all over town, how you're able to use illusions to make yourself invisible or enhance your disguises. Your magic also explains how you're able to create such incredible machines that seem to break the laws of physics.

"I'm a Wood Elf. We have magic that relates to nature. We do well with helping other beings connect with nature, and helping nature flourish. That's why my village takes to the hero business... because we're able to help humans connect with nature by living healthily and being their best selves. That's also why the town garden is so productive... a little bit of nature magic is all it takes to get a garden to grow so large so quickly like the children's garden has.

"Most elves live in a main village inside their territory together, kind of like human cities, but a bit more intimate. Each village has a court, a hierarchy, if you will. Some elves will always stay close to their court, close to their leader. Others like to... branch out a bit more. They only meet up in their villages for meetings or events, but then they live their own lives outside the village. Some kinds of elves are more likely to roam than others. Dark Elves happen to be the kind that like to roam, so hopefully we won't run into any court ordeals while you're going to meet your mother. It's good to be prepared for any situation, though.

"Each court hierarchy has their own king, queen, princes and princesses, all that good stuff. They don't have countries to rule, per se, but they each have their own territories that they claim, and their boundaries don't always match the boundaries that humans set. In fact, it's not often that human and Elven borders line up perfectly. Humans at a bit more content to keep their borders the way they are, but as the magic of an area shifts, it can become more suitable for one court than another, so borders change, people sometimes argue over land... it all sounds a bit medieval, and maybe it is, but that's how things are with the Elves.

"So... I don't know who's court your mom belongs to. It could very well be one that rivals the court I'm from. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that we need to be careful. Tread lightly, so that we try not to make her upset. You know?" Sportacus finished, shrugging a bit. Explaining this kind of stuff was... weird. He didn't often talk about it, since the Heroes of his village weren't allowed to disclose their origins to humans. They were to try to blend with the humans as seamlessly as possible. This... was new territory for him.

Robbie was quiet as he took the new information in, quite shell-shocked by it all. This was all so different from everything he'd ever known. All of this.... the talk of magic, the villages and courts, the rivalries and boundaries and everything else... it was overwhelming. Was this a danger, to try and go meet his mom? Should he even do this...? But Sportacus seemed to think it was a good idea, and Robbie trusted Sportacus, though he'd never admit it.

Robbie took Sportacus's hand for comfort, taking a deep breath and nodding. "Alright, Sportaflop. Whatever happens... I know I'll be safe with you. Next stop, WoeTown, I suppose."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't been updating this fic! It's been absolutely crazy these past few months! X~X but here I am!!! Enjoy! 
> 
> Please remember to leave a review if you like the fix!

WoeTown wasn't a very pretty place. It was better than Mayhem, of course... Mayhem was the worst town in the area, and Sportacus knew that well. But he still didn't like the feeling of dread that washed over him as he drove the air ship into the smoggy, dreary city. His ears would've drooped, were they not concealed in his hat.

"This place is.... gloomy," Robbie commented as he looked out the windshield of the air ship with a frown. He was beginning to have second thoughts about this... "Do the people here act as gloomy as their town looks?"

"...sometimes," Sportacus responded cryptically. "There are always outliers." He shrugged, not wanting to make any false promises about how Stína would be, as he truly had no clue what the woman was like. It would be cruel to Robbie for him to promise something that he couldn't guarantee.

Robbie didn't like the sound of that. He sighed, looking down at the bleary town. Then, something caught his eye. "Wait a second..."

Oh.

A hot air balloon. A terrifyingly familiar hot air balloon. The balloon that belonged to Number Nine.

Robbie paled, feeling his pulse beginning to race. This couldn't be happening. He thought he'd never have to see that godforsaken balloon again. He thought that once that horrible thing left LazyTown, then he'd be safe. But apparently, that wasn't true, since here it was, floating right under them.

"Íþróttaálfurinn....?" Sportacus mumbled, clearly confused at the sight of the other hero's balloon. "What's he doing here...?"

"Dunno. Don't care. Let's leave," Robbie responded shortly, standing abruptly and walking towards the airship door as if that would get him back to LazyTown and away from the situation. Sportacus stopped the ship, jumping up and cartwheeling after Robbie.

"Robbie...?" Sportacus put a hand on his friend's shoulder, wincing and withdrawing his hand when the man flinched under him. "Robbie... what's wrong? You've clearly met ĺþrótt... so what happened between the two of you?"

Robbie shook his head, taking a deep breath. "...let's just say that he and Glæpur were rivals back in the day. And because of that... he didn't take kindly to me once I was freed." That was a bit of an understatement, as the older elf had tended to take his frustrations against Glanni out on little Robbie since Robbie was Glæpur's next of kin. It had sparked Robbie's distrust in Heroes, and had left him with mental scars that persisted even after all those years.

Sportacus looked distraught at that, jaw slack in shock. "He... seriously took it out on you?" He shook his head, scowling. "I swear to the Wilds...! What kind of Hero blames a kid for what their parent did?! That's just awful!"

"Apparently him," Robbie supplied, huffing softly. "I don't wanna see this guy. If Stína's affiliated with this guy.... then I don't wanna meet her. It's not worth it."

"Don't be hasty, Robbie," Sportacus chided with a frown. "I doubt they're affiliated in any way. Let me see what's going on. Door! Ladder!!" With that, the door lowered, the ladder dropped down, and Sportacus climbed down to the hot air balloon.

"Níu!" Sportacus greeted as he flipped into the balloon, giving the older hero his best grin. "What are you doing in Woe? I thought your jurisdiction was in Mayhem now!"

"Tíu?" Íþróttaálfurinn looked up from the balloon's controls to see the younger hero, an eyebrow quirking at the other's sudden appearance. "I could ask you the same, little brother. Your jurisdiction is LazyTown! What are you doing here?"

"One of my charges needed something from here," Sportacus explained. "Now, you never answered my question. What are YOU doing here?"

"...border dispute," Íþróttaálfurinn reluctantly replied, frowning. "Einn sent me here to try and regain this territory. It's been held by a dark elf for a few decades now, and we just haven't been able to regain it, no matter how hard we try. She's powerful. Too powerful. It took me a long time to break the wards around the city that were keeping us out."

Sportacus took a moment to focus on the magical energies of the city, noting the staticky fuzz of newly broken wards, along with the strong magical signature of a dark elven queen. "Mm. It certainly feels like it'd be that way." Had Sportacus been a more avid user of magic, he would've noticed these things right away. But as it was, he wasn't exactly a frequent user, so it took some focusing to pick up on the energies of an area. "Who's this queen you're trying to snag territory from anyway?"

"Her given name is Silandra, but she's gone by a lot of different human aliases over the years. Her most current one is Sandra Stringer. She used to be a pretty lowly elf with no court, skipping from one place to the next, but she somehow grew powerful over the past thirty or so years," Íþróttaálfurinn frowned, brow furrowing. "She grouped up a bunch of other dark elf misfits like herself, called it her court. Their numbers are few, but as it turns out, dark elf misfits can get pretty strong, since they have to use their magic a lot to survive. So, if you get a bunch of powerful loners and group them up? You end up with a super powerful ragtag group claiming to be a court. And since they're so powerful, we can't drive them out. Einn's getting more frustrated by the day."

Sportacus took a moment to process this all. This powerful queen... was Robbie's mom? And she was a direct rival to his own court? That was problematic. "If she's claiming that the group she's formed is her court, then why do you imply that it's not? What constitutes a court in your eyes?"

"Einn says it's not legitimate since it's not established," Íþróttaálfurinn explained. "We've been around for centuries. They're just beginning. It's like calling a Little League team professional. It's just not right."

"That's just silly. We all have to start somewhere," Sportacus argued, crossing his arms. "If she says that this is her court, who are we to judge her?"

"Why are you defending this woman so much?" Íþróttaálfurinn retorted, hands on his hips as he looked down at the younger elf. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were on her side instead of ours!"

Sportacus faltered, mouth hanging open as he tried to think of a comeback but fell short, words escaping him. Íþróttaálfurinn sneered, amber eyes seeming to glow as he read Sportacus's magical signature.

"You REEK of dark elf and fae," Íþrótt hissed, nostrils flared in a show of pure disgust. "What have you gotten yourself into, Tíu?! Who exactly are you hanging around with?!"

It was at that moment that Robbie decided to materialize before the bickering brothers with a *pop* of teleportation magic. Robbie glared at Íþrótt, his sweat-dappled forehead showing that he was clearly having to struggle to face his fear of the older elf.

"You!! The little halfling brat of Glæpur's!!" Íþrótt scowled, eyes narrowing dangerously. He glared over at Sportacus, a growl rising in his throat. "Why are you hanging out with the likes of HIM?!"

Robbie began to growl animalistically, something he'd inherited from his father, but Sportacus put his hands up to try and pacify his clearly irate brother. "Í-Íþrótt, I can explain--"

"Well, you'd best start explaining, and QUICK!!"

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate the positive feedback I got on Discovering Robbie, as it helped motivate me to continue on! I'm looking forward to exploring this verse! I appreciate any and all feedback, as it helps me to become a better writer :)


End file.
